The Primacy of Faith

Circumcision was not a small deal to the Jewish people. It was a religious mark, a physical reminder not only of God’s promise, but of their belonging to God through their father Abraham. Yet, almost offhandedly, Paul sweeps away all concerns about circumcision with 4 small verses here in his letter to the Romans. Why can he do this? He offers a brief, straightforward explanation: Abraham was justified without, so too, then, are we. Other than not becoming Jewish, what does this mean for our lives? What can we learn from Paul’s insistence on faith being not just all we need, but the only thing we can have to be justified before God?